The Irish Proust: Cultural Crossings from Beckett to McGahern

The first book devoted to exploring Marcel Proust’s influence on Irish literature and Irish themes within his work, The Irish Proust reveals a surprising textual dimension of Proust’s novel and traces the enduring legacy of his work throughout twentieth-century Irish letters.

Proust’s work, which was briefly banned in Ireland, occupies an essential position within the Irish literary and cultural imaginary. From Samuel Beckett and Elizabeth Bowen to Brendan Behan and John McGahern, À la recherche du temps perdu has been a touchstone for generations of Irish writers.

Including bold new readings of Proust’s presence within the writings of Beckett, Bowen, Behan, McGahern, Mary Devenport O’Neill, and Gerald Murnane, this book draws on a wide range of archival sources and sheds new light on the cosmopolitan, modernist literary culture that emerged in post-independence Ireland despite a hostile official climate.

Max McGuinness is Teaching Fellow in French and Francophone Studies, University College Dublin, Ireland.

Michael Cronin is Professor of French at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.